Posts Tagged ‘Gorch Fock’
Italian Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship
Two training ships were ordered in 1925 by the Regia Marina and were to be designed by General Lieutenant Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps. The ships were to be the same style used in the 18th century ships of the line that carried 74 cannons.
The first to be launched went into service as The Cristoforo Colombo in 1928. She ended up being used by the Italian Navy until 1943. The ship was given to the USSR for war reparations but was quickly decommissioned.
The second ship and the more beautiful of the two built in 1930 at the Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia Naples. Launched in 1931 and finally put into service in July.
Named in honor of the famous explorer Amerigo Vespucci The Italian Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship of Marina Militare today makes its home port in Livorno, Italy. As the original plan she is used as a training ship.
The Amerigo Vespucci is a full rigged three-mast steel hull 270.34 ft long, with an overall length of 331 ft including the bowsprit and a maximum width of 51 ft. Her draught of about 23 ft and she has a displacement at full load of 4146 tons. She has auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion which will make the Amerigo Vespucci reach top speeds of 10 knots and cruise as far as 5450 nm at 6.5 knots.
She also has masts made from steel which are 50, 54 and 43 meters in height. Italian Amerigo Vespucci tall ship is rigged with 26 sails altogether. They consist of square sails, stay sails and jibs all made from the traditional canvas. Under full sail even with severe sea conditions she can reach a full 12 knots. She is the last of the tall ships with three decks and square rig to still survive as of today.
The style of this ship is truly a sight to behold. Black hull she has two white stripes that extenuates the original two cannon decks. Today she carries only the saluting guns mounted on pivots forward of the mainmast. Her deck planks made of teak get replaced every three years. The bow and stern have intricate ornaments and on the bow is a life size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci.
When she sails with the midshipmen of the Naval Academy the crew totals about 450 officers and men. The standard crew configuration is 190 sailors, 70 non-commissioned officers and 16 officers.
The Amerigo Vespucci has auxiliary power since 1964 2 8 cylinder Fiat B 308 ESS diesel engines replace the older smaller power plant. The more powerful engines generate electric power for propulsion. The electric propulsion produces 2000 hp to propel the ship.
Today she has all the modern electronic navigation equipment and hydraulic assisted steering located on the bridge. But when training cadets she is steered by the manual stern rudder station. It has 4 steering wheels that require 2 men each to be manned at all times.
The Italian Amerigo Vespucci has maintained active service except during the war of World War II. She has sailed around the world in 2002 but mostly cruises in European waters when training the crew.
She maintains a full schedule entering the Tall Ship races, sailing in many parades. When racing she proves to be a good rival for the SSS Gorch Fock. Always when docked in port the public is granted tours of the vessel.
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The USCG Barque Eagle and still an active commissioned sailing tall ship for the United States Coast Guard for active American military service. The Eagle has quite a colorful history and yet is still in service today. She is a 295 foot cutter used in training for future Coast Guard officers.
The Eagle began as a German ship the SSS Horst Wessel. She served as a the flagship of the Kriegsmarine of the sail training fleet. The fleet was made up of the Gorch Fock, Albert Leo Schlageter and the SSS Horst Wessel. Her captain was August Thiele and preformed a number of training cruises the Caribbean and European waters before World War II. By 1939 she was decommissioned and served as a docked training ship.
Desperate the Germans re-commissioned in 1942 and put her back in service. Armament was added; she received 2 20mm antiaircraft guns mounted on her bridge wings. Two more were mounted on her foredeck plus 2 quad mounts on her waist.
Her combat experience consisted of shooting down three Soviet aircraft and one of their own German fighters in friendly fire. They recognized the the fighter while it was spiraling down into the sea. They claimed the pilot was using the wrong code signal for the battle group.
By Wars end the four ships given to other countries as War Reparations. The United States received the Horst Wessel and was commissioned into the United States Coast Guard as the Cutter Eagle on May 15th 1946.
The Cutter Eagle is the seventh ship the bear the name going back to 1792 for the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard. Still in service today cadets from the United States Coast Guard Academy sail her for a week up to two months at a time as part of their training.
The crew of the Eagle consists of 6 officers and 56 enlisted men and women. Training missions the complement on the average carries 12 officers and up to 68 crew and as many as 150 more cadets.
Over her many years of service the Eagle has made stops in most ports in the United States and overseas. The Eagle joins in the Tall Ship races and events and one of the most notable was the American Bicentennial OpSail of 1976.
A real beauty to behold with fine lines and well cared for a model of the Eagle would make a fine addition to anyone collection. With a colorful history like the eagle and to still be in service is amazing.
Order your USCG Barque Eagle Tall Ship Today Before Their Gone!
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